2018 PW Rant and who else has these problems?!

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Al Handy

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I need to blow off some steam, and see if you all are having the same problems...$65K for a truck and the little things are really bothering me, and yes I am a bit ****! I know all manufacturers have problems but this is ridiculous. I purchased the PW since it had all the goodies my Rubicon has, and the ride was a bit softer then a regular 2500. I figured this would be my last truck, I am 63 and I get some 15 + years out of my trucks.

Almost 2 years old (2018 purchased new) , low mileage 17, 900 miles of which 7500 of them miles are towing a trailer.

First have to say the brakes SUCK!! It almost appears that they put 1500 brakes on the 2500, the pedal is soft, and the sometimes it seems the truck will never stop, without stomping on the pedal. I understand an upgrade (aftermarket) pads will help, I am seriously thinking of going with 8 piston SSBC front calipers and drilled and slotted rotors (BTW I have replaced the rotors on all my MOPAR vehicles (due to warping of the factory units) with drilled and slotted rotors)

The next is just some of the disappointments I have been having...

Problems:

ABS system warning messages along with the service the electronic brake would come on and off every time I drove it, finally within a 2 minute span the warning light and message came on at least 20 times. This also shuts down the cruise control. Took it in to the dealer, they replaced both the ABS module and I believe the controller. That was about 500 miles ago and now I am getting service the electronic brake message, and the ABS is being activated on down hill dry pavement braking.

TPS is always coming on, even after filling the tires to the recommended pressure, spoke to our service manager, this is not an uncommon problem, seems the TPS sensors are faulty and I have to take it back to the dealer for them to scan the system and send the info back to Ram so they can replace all the TPS sensors. They had a 2019 in for the same problem

Took the PW to the car wash, now my front parking sensors are off line, no matter how many times I have cleaned them they are still off line. I checked the connections and they are all snapped in place ( maybe they got wet, who knows?)

I know the TPS and parking sensors are minor concerns, the brakes is not. I am just annoyed enough to consider going back to Ford based on my 1986 F 250 Diesel (way under powered) but the damn thing lasted 500K miles. For the money we outlay for these trucks, this little crap should not happen. And I feel for all those who have lost engines, cams and lifters.
 

AFMoulton

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I have a 2018 2500 and I don’t have any brake issues. That does seem weird.

I would make the dealer bleed and purge the system. It sounds like it has air in the lines.


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40
 

56PW17

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My 17 and 18 have good brakes for the size of the truck. I’d have the system looked at before replacement.

I run 45ish psi all around so my Tire light has been on since I bought the truck. It is what it is.

seems the car wash messed your sensors up. Have the dealership look at that. Could be a wire someone in the line is cut or messed up.
 
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Buttyman

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Sorry for your problems. I agree. These things shouldn't happen based on the amount of money they cost. I guess it's all this technology in the truck. It's such a pain in the ass to take to a dealer and have them try to figure things out. It's only going to get more prevalent (technology, that is). I've always thought the brakes were spongy and weak too. I came from Ford too. But, I was having problems with my F250 too. I went through the 6.0 diesel fiasco, then had cab mounting issues. That's why I went to PW. Hang in there man! We're about the same age and I was hoping this would be my last truck too.
 

Halligan

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My 2015 has less than inspiring brakes too. It's the hard pad compound that last forever but stop like crap. I have some PowerStop pads sitting in my garage that I'll put on this spring. Just need to decide on what rotors to get. I'll probably go Mopar OEM as the factory one's held up good for 60,000 miles with no warping. Are your current rotors warped?

My current annoying issue is my headliner that is sagging and making snapping/popping noise when driving. It's not just the fabric but rather the whole thing. I already fixed it once with adhesive but it's going it again. Not really a big deal and I'll fix it when the weather warms up.

My TPM light is always on because I run a lower pressure so thats a moot point for me.

Don't let a couple of minor things get you down. Slap some good brake pads on it and the brake issue will be corrected. As for the front sensors, well sensors suck. I bet somebody has had issues with Ford parking sensors just like you. The more bells and whistles a vehicle has the more possibility of a problem. As for Ford, I owned a 2008 F-350 4X4 Lariat with a V-10 that I ordered brand new. It was a serious shop queen and I dumped it before the 3/36 warranty was up. The powertrain was fine but the damn bells and whistles were a real ass ache. No more Fords in my driveway since then.
 
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Al Handy

Al Handy

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Thanks Everyone, I am getting to be a grouchy old man, just that in my mind, if it is there, it should work, and work as originally intended. The truck does have other minor issues, but these are just ones bugging my ass right now.......
 

olyelr

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These things are minor issues in my mind, even the brakes..they probably just need a proper bleeding. Dont let them get you too worked up. You could jump ship to ford and end up with A LOT worse issues than that. Just read up in their forums.
 

Travelin Ram

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Sounds like you’re in the market for some better pads and stainless brake hoses.

Brakes do matter. I had a 97 with weak brakes, the power booster would run out of stroke before it would lock up the brakes. In a panic stop it was dangerous because effectively you had unboosted disc brakes. Local dealership service manager declared that was normal.

Within a week I was driving a Chevy.

Brakes on my ‘19 PW are a bit softer than I’d like. But they get the job done.
 

thkbaron

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yeah so far I've had a couple minor issues. I had a leaky pinion seal and one of the fog lights replaced due to condensation. Same thing with two clearance lights. I do live in northern MN so I've had to realize that that might be harder on the truck than anything.
 

crazy jerry

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1986 was 35yrs ago. trucks still used carburetors, fyi

i wont say your complaints are unfounded , atleast not yet but you should provide more info.
how heavy is the trailer? does it have its own braking system or is the truck fully responsible for slowing the entire load? do you have larger tires? larger tires require more engine power to accelerate and more braking power to get slowed down. are you driving like a sports car and thats your braking expectation? ive no complaint of the brakes but i dont pull heavy or pretend its a ferrari.

probly the car wash damaged the park sense wire or filled the connector with water.

tpms warning kicks on at 60 front. 65 rear ? if your airing up just to the bare minimum to keep the warning lights off, a drop in ambient temp will probly set the lights on. also use a qaulity manual gauge when airing, dont use the dash reading as your gauge. stay about 5psi above the thresh hold to keep lights off or recalibrate the threshhold with a scanner.
not sure what to say about the abs. was it repaired properly the first time?
 

AFMoulton

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@crazy jerry the ABS could be associated to the possibility of air in the brake lines? I would make the dealer do a complete bleed of the brakes, I bet they find some air.

As for tire pressures. I reset my threshold down to 40 for all 4. I run 65 all around when I’m not towing. Tires last much longer.

As for the brakes I tow 10,000#s and I don’t have any issues with the brakes. Being we have identical mode years and identical braking systems, I’d say there is something larger at play.


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40
 

2003F350

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So my 17 has had a couple issues, but they've by and large gone away or I've fixed them. I've never had any issues with my brakes - in fact, I've been able to lock up the tires if needed even WITH the ABS.

TPMS sensors suck now. They attach to the valve stem and the batteries just don't last. I ended up having them replace all 4 of mine because one was acting up when I got new tires.

I am also having issues with the parking sensors, I kinda have a love/hate relationship with them. If they get to wet, they shut off. If ice blocks them, they shut off. I'm pretty sure my rear ones got water inside the connectors this last time the dealership washed it, because as of right now they are offline again. I'm going to let it go until spring, when I can get under there, clean everything with electrical parts cleaner, and then put a bead of dielectric grease around the plugs and plug them back in to see if that fixes it.
 

crazy jerry

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@crazy jerry the ABS could be associated to the possibility of air in the brake lines? I would make the dealer do a complete bleed of the brakes, I bet they find some air.

As for tire pressures. I reset my threshold down to 40 for all 4. I run 65 all around when I’m not towing. Tires last much longer.

As for the brakes I tow 10,000#s and I don’t have any issues with the brakes. Being we have identical mode years and identical braking systems, I’d say there is something larger at play.


2018 Ram 2500 6.4L 4x4
Amsoil SS 0W-40

air in the lines sounds plausible and the reason for poor braking with abs warning lights
 

2003F350

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tpms warning kicks on at 60 front. 65 rear ? if your airing up just to the bare minimum to keep the warning lights off, a drop in ambient temp will probly set the lights on. also use a qaulity manual gauge when airing, dont use the dash reading as your gauge. stay about 5psi above the thresh hold to keep lights off or recalibrate the threshhold with a scanner.

While you're right about always having a quality manual gauge...the TPMS comes on a LOT lower than 60/65, I'm pretty sure it's 55 or less. I know this because when I am in my truck at 15° or less, my TPMS is reading about 57 lbs in each tire and might break 60 lbs after 10-15 minutes of driving. I recently aired up my tires at about 30° to 62 lbs, and this cold snap has been keeping them lower than that.
 

Havn2muchfun

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Have had the same sensor issue since new(also a 2018), but as soon as they dry out, all good.
 

nail_bender1

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Sorry to hear about your problems. I have a 2018 also. The brakes are good no issues there. I pull a small trailer camp trailer under 4,000#s but it has brakes also so I don't notice much of a change. TPMS sensors are a PIA they always go bad. When you get new tires they can install new ones but they are only as good as the batteries inside. As for the sensors, I understand they are sensitive to impact. Maybe the rotating brush bristles hit one just right to throw it out of wack.

Hope you resolve the issues, I am also a picky about my vehicles and keep most over 10 years. The exception was my 2104 GMC that started having issues so I traded it for the PW.
 

RamCares

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I need to blow off some steam, and see if you all are having the same problems...$65K for a truck and the little things are really bothering me, and yes I am a bit ****! I know all manufacturers have problems but this is ridiculous. I purchased the PW since it had all the goodies my Rubicon has, and the ride was a bit softer then a regular 2500. I figured this would be my last truck, I am 63 and I get some 15 + years out of my trucks.

Almost 2 years old (2018 purchased new) , low mileage 17, 900 miles of which 7500 of them miles are towing a trailer.

First have to say the brakes SUCK!! It almost appears that they put 1500 brakes on the 2500, the pedal is soft, and the sometimes it seems the truck will never stop, without stomping on the pedal. I understand an upgrade (aftermarket) pads will help, I am seriously thinking of going with 8 piston SSBC front calipers and drilled and slotted rotors (BTW I have replaced the rotors on all my MOPAR vehicles (due to warping of the factory units) with drilled and slotted rotors)

The next is just some of the disappointments I have been having...

Problems:

ABS system warning messages along with the service the electronic brake would come on and off every time I drove it, finally within a 2 minute span the warning light and message came on at least 20 times. This also shuts down the cruise control. Took it in to the dealer, they replaced both the ABS module and I believe the controller. That was about 500 miles ago and now I am getting service the electronic brake message, and the ABS is being activated on down hill dry pavement braking.

TPS is always coming on, even after filling the tires to the recommended pressure, spoke to our service manager, this is not an uncommon problem, seems the TPS sensors are faulty and I have to take it back to the dealer for them to scan the system and send the info back to Ram so they can replace all the TPS sensors. They had a 2019 in for the same problem

Took the PW to the car wash, now my front parking sensors are off line, no matter how many times I have cleaned them they are still off line. I checked the connections and they are all snapped in place ( maybe they got wet, who knows?)

I know the TPS and parking sensors are minor concerns, the brakes is not. I am just annoyed enough to consider going back to Ford based on my 1986 F 250 Diesel (way under powered) but the damn thing lasted 500K miles. For the money we outlay for these trucks, this little crap should not happen. And I feel for all those who have lost engines, cams and lifters.
Hi @Al Handy, we are sorry to hear about these concerning aspects of your truck! If you intend to seek dealer assistance regarding any of these concerns, our team is just a private message away and more than willing to escalate a case on your behalf to a specialist for further support through that process.

Kathryn
Ram Cares
 
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Al Handy

Al Handy

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@RamCares THANK YOU, I am just a bit disappointed in the vehicle, and I know mass produced items will have issues, my Compass had zero issues (untill 160K miles), as did the Grand Cherokee (220K miles) I had. My Rubicon issues were all cause by me and off-roading it :) Thank you again. I will be scheduling an appointment with my service manager at Gray in Stroudsburg Pa.
 

RamCares

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@RamCares THANK YOU, I am just a bit disappointed in the vehicle, and I know mass produced items will have issues, my Compass had zero issues (untill 160K miles), as did the Grand Cherokee (220K miles) I had. My Rubicon issues were all cause by me and off-roading it :) Thank you again. I will be scheduling an appointment with my service manager at Gray in Stroudsburg Pa.
We are happy to hear that you plan to seek dealer assistance in resolving these concerns! We look forward to connecting with your privately for further support.

Kathryn
Ram Cares
 

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